In Ensign-1 you play the role of a space fighter pilot returning from a deep space colonization mission. On arrival back to our own solar system, you find Earth has been colonized by a hostile alien force. It's now up to you, with the help of your mothership, the Ensign-1, to take it back
Ensign-1 allows allows for complete freedom in approaching objectives. You can fight from the safety of your spacecraft, or land and exit to explore space stations and carriers on foot. You can commandeer any spacecraft in the game, no matter how big or how small. Defend an asteroid base, or take the fight to the enemy with a huge mothership, friends manning turrets, it's your choice.
The game also features a multiplayer mode where players can explore a randomly generated galaxy, either fighting co-operatively to clean out enemy fighters, or battling each other for supremacy.

Most indie games focus on simple concepts that can be fully exploited with a small budget. This has led to some great classics, but I feel the possiblity of truly grand-scale indies has been left untapped. Ensign 1 is the sort of game that I wish had 10 million dollars behind it.

I knew from the summary that the game allows an FPS portion when your ship is docked, but I didn't realize that you can actually move around your own ship while it is traversing through space. This feature is already implemented, and the potential here is pretty astounding. Instead of a simple HUD, you have a real ship, with real physical space, and the ability to hold multiple passengers that can move freely to different ship operations.

The game is currently in a very unfinished state, but if this sort of concept even remotely interests you, there's no reason not to throw in your support now. This is truly a concept that needs to be explored, and the current price is an absolute steal.

(Since this is only an alpha version, I'm giving a 10 for potential, and the fact that the current build is easily worth the $5)

Trying to revive a pretty much dead genre, it goes a long way to add new sugar n spices to the space game scenario. Mixing Star Wars Battlefront's dogfights with multiplayer-controllable ships and actual ship interiors, gunfights and a good modability, this is bound to stir up a lot of attention.

Even in it's current, unfinished state it is well worth the low price of admission, seeing it as a tech-demo preview of what they are going for and asking you for support.

Can't wait for multiplayer or an expansion/sequel, an open world like in Freelancer of Evochron Mercenary would make this the next big hit for all fans of the space genre.

It has bugs and glitches, but that is to be expected as it is an alpha version. I'll point out good and bad things and make some suggestions:

GOOD:
-"In your face" action, as the player go on and off the ship, or to the turret.
-Fast paced combat
-Intuitive controls
-Feels futuristic
-Gameplay is coherent with the games premises

BAD:
-It is in a very, very early stage to be even released
-Story is lacking
-For a game that is so linear, it lacks direction
-No key mapping
-No "cycle" - like, when you die, there's no message to tell you that, you simply respawn with all enemies and objectives restarted, this feels broken
-Lasers are difficult to aim, and if it was not enough, they go to different directions as you move
-On foot FPS system is broke. NPCs act strange, bullets act strange.

Ensign-1 is in track to be an arcade space shooter, a good one, that is. Thus, I think it should focus in story, combat and interaction with environment, mainly. Complex missions, memorables fights or situations is what I expect from a game like this. At the moment there is no objective tracking interface in-mission. That made me feel lost ingame. Shooting lasers is pretty difficult, and the actual reticle doesn't help at all, you should rework it so it will effectively help the player hit the target and not the opposite! UI should be reworked, but I like the minimal touch to it, feels immersive, as if the player is interacting with the ingame items.

I don't think this game strong attribute is about content, but about involvement. And what makes a good game is to recognize its strong points and make them stand out. I hope my review helps your development.

This is a fantastic concept with some really really great ideas. I rated the game higly purely because of this, and because I really believe this is one of those gems that deserves to rise above the average games out there.

But there are some serious stumbling blocks that need to be addressed:

1. Resolution settings option. There isn't one that I could find.
2. Horrendous FPS (unplayably bad sometimes) despite my excellent hardware specs. Other games run smooth (Tremulous, Torchlight, Nexuiz, Open-Arena, etc etc)
3. Default music versus other sound volume is too loud.
4. Menus deserve to be a lot prettier.
5. Game intro deserves to be a video, or a graphic slideshow with text plus more dramatic voice-over.
6. A bit confusing in the beginning as to what-to-do. Trial and error is sadly not the best at making a good impression.
7. Targetting reticle and other HUD graphics seem to be after-thoughts ... make these prettier & more engaging.

Yadda yadda yadda ... It's a cool game, for sure. The ability to leave the captain's chair at any point and climb into the turret is cool. I look forward to being able to exit my ship and kick some malevolent-alien ***!

It doesn't get a 10 because I liked the original main menu theme, better.

Oh come, on!

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Most indie games focus on simple concepts that can be fully exploited with a small budget. This has led to some great classics, but I feel the possiblity of truly grand-scale indies has been left untapped. Ensign 1 is the sort of game that I wish had 10 million dollars behind it. I knew from the summary that the game allows an FPS portion when your ship is docked, but I didn't realize that you can actually move around your own ship while it is traversing through space. This feature is already implemented…